10 Books I Wasn’t Going To Read (But Guess What? I Am Weak)

The doom and tragedy of the bookworm life is knowing you can’t possibly read all the books.

Unless you plan to live forever, like I will, of course because I shall NOT BE DRIVEN TO DEATH until I’ve read all the books in my TBR. So far my calculations say if I continue adding to my TBR like I do, I shall live to be 1,002. Should be nice. *

Despite my immortality plans, the fact of the day is I HAVE A LOT OF BOOKS I WANT TO READ AND NOT MUCH TIME TO DO IT. So I have to be somewhat picky about what I read, yes???? I can’t just read everything. Even when everyone else is reading it. Or if it’s just pretty. Or if it just happened to fall onto my face….

Okay so I have like 2% impulse control when it comes to books. I SAY I’m not going to read it because it doesn’t look like my thing or I didn’t love the author previously or blah blah blah…but fact: it doesn’t take much to make me cave and read it.

Today’s post is A LIST OF MY SHAME, BASICALLY. Here are 10 books I said I wasn’t going to read and — SURPRISE! — I ended up reading them. Sometimes this is a good thing! Sometimes I think someone needs to smite me with a shovel ** and say “CAIT LOOK AT THAT BOOK. YOU KNEW YOU WEREN’T GOING TO LIKE IT. WHY WERE YOU BORN WITH NO CONTROL OMG GO SIT DOWN??????” We will have a fun time in this post.

* As long as the apocalypse doesn’t damage my library or you WILL see evil rise. And it will be me. And even Armageddon will back off at that point. ** Look I say do this. But honestly if you try to hit me with a shovel I will either (A) set my dragons on you and believe me, I have many dragons, or (B) I’ll just cry because I’m a fragile and delicate flower actually and do you want to see my adorable face cry? No.

1. THE DIABOLIC

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: Because it looked super cliche. I mean, a story about a Girl Who Isn’t Human But Learns To Be Human??? YAWN. And I’d heard it compared a million times to The Hunger Games which is not something I want to be part of. Like, please people: stahp trying to redo The Hunger Games. It’s been done. MOVE ON.

WHY I DID READ IT: I didn’t realise it was set in space. I KNOW RIGHT?! I literally only read it because I was on Illuminae withdrawal and needed some spaceships in my life.

WAS IT WORTH IT: Actually yES. It was super stabby and Nemesis was like 50% an emotionless robot but also 50% a girl WHO LOVED HER DOG EVEN THOUGH SHE PRETENDED SHE DIDN’T. And it was so cute. Like explosions + stabbing + spaceships + insane emperor’s + cute dog = this is for meeeeee.

3. BLACKHEARTS

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: I’d seen so many disappointed reviews that said “NO PIRATAGE”. Well, actually no one used the word piratage because apparently it’s not a real word. But when have I ever let spellcheck teach me how to live my life? Never. REGARDLESS…a retelling of Blackbeard with 0% pirates = CAIT IS ON THE RUN.

WHY I DID READ IT: Ummmmm…so. The, um, cover…is…pretty.

WAS IT WORTH IT: ACTUALLY YES IT WAS!! It didn’t have a lot of pirate action, but I was prepared. And I actually loved the sass and the romance and the way the heroine meets the hero by smacking him with a bucket of oysters. #ShippingIt

4. HIGHLY ILLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: Because it’s about social anxiety and agoraphobia and I deal with these quite a lot in my own life AND the only other book I’d read about it absolutely MOCKED IT and traumatised me.

WHY I DID READ IT: Because two trusted internet creatures I admire both said it handled the topic BEAUTIFULLY and there was no “cure culture” in it. And like, remember how I said I have 0% imupluse control? YA, MATE. I requested a review copy and KABOOM here it came.

WAS IT WORTH IT: Yes! Those trusted internet creatures WERE SPOT ON. It was (A) hilarious, (B) completely nerdy, and (C) focused on friendship and not romance, (D) totally respectful about social anxiety, and (E) actually a really really accurate representation that didn’t end in a “miracle romantic cure”!! WELL BLESS IT.

5. STEELHEART

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: When it first came out back 187 years ago (okay fine, maybe not THAT LONG) most of the reviews I read said it was boring. Do you know who has the attention span of a vertically challenged peanut? ME. So I moved away from this book faster than I exit a room full of spiders (not that I’ve ever been in a room full of spiders because the universe has blessed my life).

WHY I DID READ IT: I actually haven’t got a clue. WHY DID I READ IT????? I’m wracking my brains. I know I found the audiobook and I like audiobooks….I have no memory of this place.

WAS IT WORTH IT: yES. It was hilarious! And featured a guy who was so nerdily obsessed with mass-murdering-psychopathic-super-heroes that I related to him on a spiritual level. Plus so many explosions. #nice

6. THE YOUNG ELITES

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: Because the author’s first book, Legend, didn’t really do anything for me. I mean, it was okaaaaaaaaay. But I never felt very motivated to read onwards.

WHY I DID READ IT: Well, it said “tHIS IS THE STORY OF A VILLAIN!!!” and if there’s two things that catch my attention instantly it’s (A) free cake, and (B) villain origin stories.

WAS IT WORTH IT: That would be a solid no. The so-called villain was about as scary as my LEFT EYEBROW (which to be fair can be scary because it knows no chill thanks to my Italian hairy genes) and I spent most of the book napping while my dog read out loud the dull paragraphs.

7. ALTERED

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: Dude, look at that cover. LOOK AT THAT NAKED BOY WITH TREE BRANCHES GROWING OUT OF HIS BACK. I was worried for his health and also thought I wouldn’t be caught dead by my family with that kind of cover in my hands.

WHY I DID READ IT: Um, well, this girl has genetically altered boys in her basement and I don’t know? I wanted to see what would happen with that??? Plus it had a character named Sam and I like the name Sam. #GoodReasonToReadObviously

WAS IT WORTH IT: Let’s just say, I could’ve lived without it and my life would not have been ALTERED. (Hahahhaah #punny.) It was 3-stars and kind of dumb but mildly amusing.

I’M AWARE THIS IS THE SEQUEL BUT I DON’T OWN THE FIRST BOOK SO #DEAL

8. TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: What fluff is this. Do I read fluff? No. I read blood and dragons.

WHY I DID READ IT: I stumbled across a review that whispered the magical words “…I loved how much baking and cake appreciation was in this book...” and it was like BOOM. My entire attitude did a 180 flip and I WAS THERE LIKE A STARVED CAMEL WITNESSING LAKE SUPERIOR. (Which, FYI is the largest fresh water lake in the world. #TriviaMomentWithCait) I like food. I had to read it.

WAS IT WORTH IT: Yesssss. BECAUSE FOOD. But it was also delightfully quirky and fun and cute and FULL OF DESSERTS and I got so involved in the romance that I actually had an emotion and needed to sit down instead of cutting down planets in fire and blood and yadda yadda ya what evil world rulers do or whatever. If a book can make me pause my fearsome nature: the book is talented.

9. EVER THE HUNTED

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: I was originally really excited about it when it first graced my Goodreads dashboard buuuuuut…then I heard it was cliche and about as fun as a vegetable. SO. I cut it off my TBR.

WHY I DID READ IT: Because it came up on Netgalley????? And it turns out only 7% of my brain heard the memo of “WE’RE NOT GOING TO READ THIS” because I requested it and got approved (that in itself is a miracle) and read it exactly 2 days later. BUT IT’S SO PRETTY. WE HAVE TO MENTION THAT.

WAS IT WORTH IT: Nooooooooooooooooooooo. Because guess what? IT WAS SO UNFORTUNATELY CLICHE. And it was actual agony putting up with a special snowflake who was so dumb and a plot that was so tedious. Why. WHY didn’t I listen to my instincts. I’m sobbing.

10. CARRY ON

WHY I WASN’T GOING TO READ IT: So, ah haha hahahah, confession: you know how in Fangirl, Cath was writing fanfic and Carry On is the fanfic she wrote? WELL. I skipped all those sections in Fangirl because they were so dull. SO WHY WOULD I THEN WANT TO READ CARRY ON????

WHY I DID READ IT: Apparently the answer to the above question is: because it’s by Rainbow Rowell.

WAS IT WORTH IT: It actually was! After the initial 100-pages where it felt like badly summarised Harry Potter fanfic and it started to turn into an epic story with a TRAGIC PROTAGONIST WHOM I LOVED and the cutest ever romance. So forget everything I said about “always listen to your first instincts, Cait!” because my first instincts SUCK and I would miss out on so many excellent books.

okay YOUR TURN: tell me about a book you initially weren’t going to read and then decided to…and did it work out as good or bad for you!??! also: do you have low impulse control when it comes to books? or are you cool to skip books? CHAT WITH ME, FIENDS, I MUST KNOW YOUR BRAINS *

uuh this is such a constant struggle for me too, even if I manage to read 200 books a year (highly unlikely for me) it will still take me 6 years to get through all the books currently on my TBR list not to mention the ones that will have been added by then. A lot of the books here I can agree with however if you are looking for another impulsive read I would give the Rose Society (sequel to The Young Elites) a try because I found that although I didn’t enjoy the first book the second one got a lot more violent and crazy.Emma @ Reading Through the Night recently posted…Making New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

Our TBRs are just crazy, right?!?😂 And I’d be sorry about mine’s wildness buuuuut…I CAN’T STOP COLLECTING BOOKS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. (And I’ll keep tha tin mind about Rose Society! I don’t remember much of TYE though since it’s been over a year since I read it and finding motivation to re-read might not happen.😂)

I actually really loved The Sun is Also a Star. It was so philosophical–I felt like the message was tha first love is as inevitably improbable as both atoms and galaxies. I didn’t think I would like The Knife of Never Letting go , but it was totally brilliant. I thought that Vicious was kinda dumb, then I read Shades of Magic, and was really into it, then I read Vicious, and it was really disappointing, then I read Frankenstien and realised that it redeems itself as a Frankenstien retelling. I wasn’t going to read Something In Between, but I felt like something fluffy and it was bland as dry rice, but fluffy, like dry rice and whipped cream. Yeah. Thanks for this list, Cait. and happy new year 🙂Shanti recently posted…‘Tis the Season of Rereading Fangirl

I’m glad you liked The Sun is Also A Star!! I figure that author’s style is maybe just not for me? eh, at least I tried twice.😂 And we’re even because I LOVED VICIOUS SO MUCH it’s absolutely one of my favourites.😂

You know I wasn’t going to read Cursed Child. I said a script is a script. I do not read scripts. But then I saw it in the bookstore, and it was shiny & gold and stupid me, ended up reading it, poop. Was it worth it, not really But at least the cover was nice, honest!

And then there was hmm, the actual HARRY POTTER series. This wasn’t in 2016 but hey, I don’t even know what time is. BOOKS AND FOOD ARE LIFE. Who cares about annoying alarm clocks? Anyways, I was not gonna read because i thought super-hyped up books were rubbish. Which is true sometimes, but,’m a potterhead now!

I totally get that! Part of me is curious to read it??? But most of me is NOT because I don’t read scripts either.😂 And I love Harry Potter too! (Plus I totally love hyped and famous books. <3 I think it's awesome when like thousands of people get excited over a book!!)

Did you like Ender's Game?! I LOVED IT. The movie is pretty fantastic too. 🙂

Same here! I mean It was ANOTHER HP book, who wouldn’t want to return the fabulous wizarding world? It was nice, some parts of it, being back with The Golden Trio but i did not like it. I LOVED Ender’s Game too, it was fabulous. The movie was good, but compared to the book, I didn’t like it as much.

I know what you mean about EVER THE HUNTED,Cait.It was just too cliche for me.ALL those ya tropes in one book but that cover was so pretty*I just couldn’t resist*. Now I definitely want to check out Blackhearts after reading your opinion

I skipped the fanfic parts in Fangirl too! *high fives* Ugh. They were just not my thing. I still haven’t read Carry on, but I will soon. And pirates!! OF COURSE WE CANNOT RESIST THEM. I need more of pirate books😂 And superheroes are the absolute best. Did you hear that Marrisa Meyer is writing a superhero trilogy? I WANT.Prabhleen recently posted…EMOJI BOOK TAG!! (ALSO #BOOKHAUL)

Now I’m all the more excited to read The Diabolic!! And I actually was going to try Ever the Hunted but now i think I should skip it! And I spent money on The Young Elites and The Rose society *cries* I should have bought something better!!!! And I’ve been hearing so much about Everythin Everything and The Sun is also a Star. I am not much of a contemporary reader and I need FANTASYYY so I was going to read them later but now i’m thinking I should skip them. Insta love drives me crazy!!! Awesome post Cait 🙂 And Happy New Year! Let’s hope for an amazing 2017!

But hey, these are just my tastes!! You might still like them all😂 I know most people adore The Young Elites so I’m actually in a minority here. *nods* Fantasy is LIFE THOUGH OMG I LOVE FANTASY LIKE I LOVE CAKE. (Which is definitely saying something.)

Uh, when I was younger, I refused to read Harry Potter for some reason? (I thought I was cool because I didn’t catch on to the popular trends. Middle school me was a travesty.) Of course, I cracked, and I absolutely love the series! I also said I’d never read Twilight, and I did, but I got bored halfway through New Moon, so I should’ve just skipped it. 😂

Also, I don’t know if I have low impulse control, but I do flip flop a lot. Like, I’m well aware it has awful reviews, but the concept sounds so interesting, so I go back and forth on whether I want to read it or not. It’s always such a difficult choice!

Omg that’s hilarious!!😂 I never read Harry Potter as a kid because I was a 1000% Narnia creature, but I wish I had because I think I would’ve been totally obsessed with it. I read Twilight purely just to see what the fuss was about. I don’t think I’ll read the rest though. LIKE WHY ARE THEY THE SIZE OF BRICKS OMG.

It is a difficult choice!! Hence I end up reading everything because going on Goodreads = me reading 50/50 love and hate towards the book AND HAVING MY MIND NOT MADE UP AT ALL.

Ohhhh I’m so glad I’m not alone then.😂 Everyone is raving about it and I’m like “she’s totally the most unscary villain of all time????” But omg there is literally NOTHING that will change my mind about reading Shades of Grey. Nope nope and noppppppe.

this makes me more excited to read The Diabolic! I originally was not going to read I’ll Give You the Sun, (because I usually stay the heck away from contemporary), but it was amazing, and I am so glad I decided to read it!

I have such bad impulse control when it comes to books. Apparently this whole perfectionist-brain-thing extends to reading ALL THE BOOKS (or else).Madeline recently posted…december wrap-up // goodbye 2016!

I’m glad you read Carry On. I love that book so much. I have no impulse control when it comes to books, so I just drive myself crazy by trying to read everything. I’m hopeless.Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…The Black Friday Haul: Poetry Edition

Liking a name is a perfectly valid reason to read a book! I have no impulse control when it comes to books. None. Also, sweet and sour from the Chinese, because food.Rain @ Ivyclad Ideas recently posted…The Best Books I’ve Read in 2016

I quite enjoyed reading this list- and I’m very glad you decided to read Steelheart, ’cause it’s awesome. (Of course, I’m addicted to everything Sanderson, except a few things that I pretend don’t exist, so I’m a teensy bit biased.) I actually read a whole SERIES that I said I wasn’t going to read- Percy Jackson. Back when they first came out I was like “Um. This sounds weird. I don’t know if I’m ok with this. Not gonna read it.” But then I kept hearing how good it was, and how awesome the characters were, and this and that and the other thing and then I was on a Greek kick because of college reading- and then I had Greek withdrawals because I ran out of Greek stuff, so I was like “Ok, Percy Jackson it is.” And I haven’t regretted it at all since (except for the bit where those books are addictive and I’m pretty sure I stayed up later than I should’ve reading some of them).

IT IS SO AWESOME AHHHHHHHH. Although I kind of admit I think Calamity was a real…calamity. Ahem. But Steelheart and Firefight are two of my top favourite books ever!! I’m so glad I took the chance. (Although it’s kind of bothering me how I can’t remember WHY I decided to pick it up.😂)

Percy Jackson is AMAZING. I initially wasn’t so keen on reading it because the first books were a little too young for me? But then #OBSESSED. I will read anything and everything by Riordan now.

I’m so glad you ended up reading Diabolic! I know of a lot of people who skipped it due to the comp titles the publisher pushed (*sigh*) but as a big fan of the author, I really wish more people had ignored that. There aren’t very many books I’ve changed my mind about myself. Or really, I more tend to decide to read something, then hear something about it, and then decide not to read it. I guess the main series I eventually decided to read was The Raven Boys. I had decided not to read it because it seemed to much like a romance, I’m not much for magical realism, and one of my best friends kind of hated it. But I did end up reading it and liked it well enough.Tamara @ Tamaraniac recently posted…My Favorite Books of 2016

I know right???! Honestly the pitch by the publishers and the really dull sounding blurb are TOTAL turn offs when the book is actually magnificent!! Sometimes marketing is the thing that really fails the book. Gah.

THE RAVEN BOYS IS MY LIFE. <33 OMG I'M SO GLAD YOU TRIED IT. *twirls happily*

I do have impulse control – and generally it’s because I’m rather picky. Also I don’t like being disappointed. I’d much rather stand in the library for 17 minutes straight, holding the book and inwardly saying, “Yes? No? Yes? No?” — then just grab the book and 2 hours later be crying/throwing it at the wall/reaching for the matches.

Ha – not sure I’d call it intelligence, More neurotic tendencies. 😉 Personally, I don’t necessarily mind if I “miss” something – particularly if it’s something that just won’t work for me, anyway. After The Hunger Games, I’m definitely in the camp of “I don’t HAVE to read it, and I’ll be happier for NOT reading it if I think it’ll traumatize me.”

I know this is surprising coming from a Riordan fan, but I initially didn’t want to read The Hidden Oracle. The ending of Blood of Olympus left a bitter feelings for me and I was like “nope. better stop before the series got spoiled.” But then the internet explode with solangelo and apollo narcisism, and all the fanarts with percy and the swim team and sally jackson AND I JUST HAD TO READ IT.

Ohoh why didn’t you like the end of Blood of Olympus?!?? I adore that series.😂 (Although I think a certain character should have ACTUALLY died not had a fake death but I’m mean.😂) Hidden Oracle had me in hysterics omg. Apollo’s narcism was a thing of beauty to behold. :’)

I’m with you on To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. I have a friend who read it and adored it, but I kept on saying that I didn’t want to read it because we don’t really share the same taste in books (she’s all fluffy romances and I’m all blood and screaming), but then she got really irritated that I kept saying no and sent me a text that basically said “JUST READ IT FOR THE FOOD, AINE”. So I did. And I actually liked it!

Seeee, we are practically TWINS, Aine. :’) Blood and screaming = the best kind of books. But, well, contemporaries that centre around food can be so winning. Like someone please let Lara Jean’s family adopt me so I might eat all the dessert??? I need.

And yes, Ever the Hunted has been strangely quiet?!? I guess it only just came out and it has the kind of plot line that you literally forget about two hours after reading.😂

a) I have no impulse control either. Yesterday I said “No new books for atleast a few weeks.” Then bookbub tells me that London Belongs to me is only $1.99. I couldn’t say no… sigh b) You’ve made me excited for books I want to read and also sad about one because I had such high hopes. Why are you throwing bad cake at my TBR? (Is there such a thing as bad cake? haha. I’ll live.

Tbh, I DNFed Carry On because I was just so bored!!! But it was still within the first 100 pages, so I might have to give it a go again. And I am now even more excited for The Diobolic because HELLO SPACE AND DOGS (what would be even better is Space Dogs).

HAHAha.. when you’ve only read three of the ten books so you can’t really relate to most of them… I actually loved To All The Boy I’ve Loved Before SO MUCH! But that ending was kind of meh in my opinion. Still, it was a great book! I literally mostly read books from peer pressure by others… I guess I succumb easily, whoops.Julianna recently posted…5 Side Effects Of Reading Too Much

I feel like I say this all the time, but I wasn’t going to read Wolf by Wolf because I’m really hesitant with alternate histories and I didn’t think the skinshifting-powers-from-horrific-genetic-experimentation thing would be handled well. But then I heard really good things about it and I happened to find it in the library and the first page just sucked me in and IT WAS AMAZING! On the other end of things, I probably shouldn’t have continued the Finishing School series. With every book, I kept thinking about how even though the worldbuilding was amazing, I really didn’t care about the plot and there were a bunch of things that just got on my nerves. But I didn’t take my own advice and so I finished the series anyway. It wasn’t that bad, but I definitely wouldn’t have been missing much if I hadn’t read it.Clara @ Lost in My Library recently posted…December Wrap-Up and MY FIRST BLOGOVERSARY! (and a Giveaway!)

I’m so glad you feel that way about Wolf by Wolf because dubiousness was MY initial reaction and I still haven’t read it yet.😂 I will for sure soon though!! I haven’t heard of the Finishing School series though, but gah, it’s annoying to feel like you wasted a lot of time on a book, right?!

It’s so cool seeing your initial thoughts and then your actual thoughts on the book. I get why a lot of people didn’t care about reading Carry On because they hadn’t cared about the excerpts in Fangirl but it was totally it’s own independent book. Add into the fact that book has a shiny new paperback cover and I want to read it all over again. I’m also surprised to see To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on here because I know you’re not usually one for contemporary reads but so glad to see you liked it. It is a big old ball of fluff but it’s the right level of fluff (and with enough baking in it to keep you happy) that you can’t help but enjoy it.

I constantly have low impulse control when it comes to books. I never intended to read Illuminae but then won a copy and was convinced by a review I saw of it and I am glad I did. I mean, that book! There aren’t words for my love for it. I absolutely intended to give up on SJ Maas and her writing but continually see reviews and people raving of ACOMAF and ended up buying it. I haven’t read it yet so there is still time for me to regret my life decisions, but I’m hoping a huge group of people isn’t wrong. Then again, isn’t mob mentality a bad thing? I may live to regret this decision.Becky @ A Fool’s Ingenuity recently posted…Monthly Wrap-Up // December

Yes totally!! And I loved Carry On so so much. <3 (I wonder if it's like Cath's version or the original author's version? Either way. META.😂) And yessss, To All the Boys is so NOT a Cait-book, hence it took me forever to read it. But omg was it all levels of adorable. <3 I was really panicking over my ship at the end though.😂

ILLUMINAE IS EVERYTHING. <3

I've given up on SJM though.😂 I know people say ACOMAF is better than ACTOAR but...eh, I'm done.😂

Ahhh let’s see, Labyrinth Lost! I picked it up because the cover was gorgeous and it’s written by a spanish writer – more diversity lit, please! I ended not loving it as much as I thought but hey, the effort was made! So many books get instalove as you say that it’s hard to know if it’s actually a good book or just pretty!! Little self control to buying books though…didn’t get Carry On because I actually thought the cover was ugly haha, but the paperback comes out this year and it is fierce!! I’m excited to read it now that you’ve said you enjoyed it despite skipping those parts in Fangirl! Happy New Year!

SNOWBAZ IS SO CUTE THOUGH. THERE IS NO DENYING. And oooh, wait, I didn’t know there was a new cover?!? I must go see. (I actually think this cover is kind of dull tbh.)

Ever the Hunted was just SUCH A SADNESS. I’m sooo disappointed.😭 If I had a dollar for every time the girl fainted or swooned or cried or failed at the tracking she was “supposed to be so good at”…. I would have enough money to buy all the chocolate I need to recover from it.😑

And I don’t really think those fanfic sections made sense out of context?!?! I was just here for Cath.😂 And SAME. I was so surprised how good Carry On actually was! (Although I legit can’t say the title without singing the Supernatural theme song.😂)

well one book I wasn’t going to read was All The Bright Places. Which I adore. It’s my favourite book of ever next to LOTR. But why didn’t I want to read it? Because I SADLY read some (now very clearly) dumb reviews which hated it. I wasn’t going to ever touch it with a ten foot pole. But I am a weak creature (to borrow the phrase.) and i was also very bored. aND OMG I JUST READ CARRY ON AND YAS I LOVED IT AND ASDFGHJKL.Mironiel Blokzyl recently posted…Mini Review || In which I review two books I loved

SEE THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TO TRY EVERYTHING, RIGHT!?!?!? Because otherwise we might miss something fantastic on accident.😂 I nearly didn’t read soooo many books because reviews said they were bad, and then I ended up adoring them. THIS IS WHY MY TBR NEVER GETS SMALLER.

I almost didn’t read Daughter of Smoke & Bone because everybody said it was good. So I thought it couldn’t possibly be! Hahaha… Also, I didn’t like the cover. But it turned out to be one of my favourites. (I have issues with book hype; I’ve been burned one too many times,)La Coccinelle @ The Ladybug Reads… recently posted…Review – Change Places With Me

It didn’t get 5stars out of me, like Fangirl did (FANGIRL <333) buuuut it was still super cute.😂 OH YES do try The Diabolic!! I think it sounds really cliche from blurbs/pitches, but it’s actually fantastic.

Carry On did that to me too! I wasn’t going to read it because of all the HP similarities, but ended up loving it. #baz <3 Normally I'll always go with my instincts and won't add a book to my tbr unless I like the look/sound of it, but SOMETIMES, if people write super 'persuasive' reviews, I'll read it. Haha reviews such as yours, for instance! xD And Happy new year!

haha I also wasn’t going to read The Sun is Also a Star because contemporary romance… blegh. But it showed up randomly in my mailbox so I caved. I own Steelheart but at this point it’s likely covered by a ridiculous amount of dust. I want to read it. Just haven’t. I didn’t even plan on reading Fangirl but my bestie convinced me. And then she convinced me to read Carry On. It worked out. 🙂Bonnie @ For the Love of Words recently posted…Recommended Reading 101: Dual Timelines

I mean… I liked it? But it was more of a detached appreciation since it’s far from a me book. I’m not sure if that even makes sense. lol I need more Rainbow!Bonnie @ For the Love of Words recently posted…Recommended Reading 101: Dual Timelines

I wasn’t going to read the Deadly Class series, I put it down, but gave it a second try and love it! I also wasn’t planning on reading Nevernight either but here I am, currently-reading it. I never planned on reading Beautiful Creatures either, that book was terrible. My Grandma got me it over the summer, its the thought that counts though. This is a hard question, I just know the books I read. I don’t really think about what I thought about before I read it. I have pretty good impulse control, its curiosity that gets the best of me. Its mostly about other genre’s, I think I haven’t read contemporary, horror, or historical that much. Let me dip my toes in and see what its like. Sometimes I hate it and say “THIS IS WHY!” or I love it and find all of the authors other books and read them. I did that with Sarah J. Maas and Rainbow Rowell, although I haven’t read all of RR books because I’m still a skeptic. Happy New Year! My resolution is to get better at painting with watercolors or just art in general. Do you have a New Years resolution?

Oooh, how are you liking Nevernight?!? I’m probably reviewing it on the blog tomorrow. I LOVE THAT BOOK. Also I have owned Beautiful Creatures for like 9000 years and still not read it.😂

Happy new year to you too! I do have some resolutions but they’re mostly things like “read x number of books” and “teach my dog not to eat people” etc. Getting into art is an AMAZING idea. That was my 2016 resolution and I did exactly 0% of art.😂

Haha I love all your reasons here! I have to say, it was hard getting into Carry On at first because of how it felt like I’d just nose dived into Harry Potter regurgitated. Delicious. But omg then the story DOES things and I’m all like GIVE ME MORE. I’ve heard certain rumours that there might be sequel . . . I can’t decide if I’m excited or not (I mean, how do you go on from where it leaves off ?!!)

YOU HAVE ME DISAPPOINTED IN EVER THE HUNTED. I don’t have a copy of it but somehow I’ve actually not read a single review for it and now my dreams are crushed. I blame you. I bet I’ll read it though and fall in love – I’m such a nasty, easy to please bookworm. I’ll just, perhaps, put it behind the other 200 and something books I have to read first *fiddles with necktie*.

I know right??! At first I thought I’d HATE it because it actually felt like full on plagiarism.😂 But then it got really original and ADORABLE and I was so impressed. <3 I hope there is more. :') SNOWBAZ.

I'm sorry for being a crusher of dreams. I shall go send myself to the corner of shame for my cruelty.

Yeah, who ARE they approving :0 Although, to be honest, I’ve read a lot of good books that are “read now” on NetGalley, so you just have to have the gut about what’s good and what’s not. Don’t need to only get request titles. I only ever requested once on Edelweiss, I don’t think it was approved xD maybe I should try more 🙂

I got a book on impulse out from the library (Conquest by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard – READ IT) because I liked the cover and I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to read it because I haven’t always had the best luck with sci-fi but OMG IT WAS SO GOOD. So sassy and plot-twisty and AMAZING.

Actually, my best read of 2015 … I decided I wasn’t going to read despite the very good reviews. But, I don’t know how, I appeared to hold it in my hands and DEVORE IT IN FOUR DAYS. Best read of 2015, there you go. WHAT WOULD I HAVE MISSED. Also it’s a French book not translated called Tant que nous sommes vivants which means As long as we’re alive and the cover is GORGEOUS 😍

I’m glad you loved Young Elites!! I’m really disappointed that it didn’t work out for me. *goes off to sob in the corner* And agh, it’s always disappointing to find that sometimes a reader and an author just really don’t click, right?!? But at least there are plenty of other books in the world.😂

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT EVER THE HUNTED HONESTLY. I’ve seen like one person love it, hahaah. I think it depends if you read a lot of epic fantasy? If you don’t, you might still be okay with it!

Well, NOW I FEEL RESPONSIBLE. Because here you are, listing books I fully intended to read and saving me from them (The Young Elites! I SOB! I WAS PROMISED VILLAINY AND NOW I LEARN THERE IS NONE?!), and meanwhile I read an ARC of Ever The Hunted a good year ago and FAILED TO WARN THE MASSES.

Holy cliched dullness. I nearly napped. And normally books make me FLAIL and not NAP.

I was the fiiiirst to give it a negative star rating on GR, but I DIDN’T ELABORATE BECAUSE OF THE MONTH-BEFORE-THE-RELEASE-DATE-POLICY. I SHOULD HAVE. I should have given a subtle hint, at least. Like “DON’T READ THIS UNLESS YOU’RE REALLY INTO BEING SMASHED OVER THE HEAD WITH THE 0.149 POINT THIS BOOK IS FAILING AT CONVEYING”. But, uhm. I hoped that was just me.Lexie @ The Honest Bookclub recently posted…FAVORITE BOOK BLOGS THAT INSPIRE US DAILY

Books should definitely make us flail!! NO NAPPING!! *breaks a plate in rage* 😂 Although the most disappointing thing about The Young Elites is honestly how tame it was haha. I mean, give me evility?? I don’t ask for much/???

I fail SO. HARD. at saying I am “never” reading something and then doing it anyway. But it is weird, because with SOME books, my brain stubbornly hangs onto the whole “no, I am not reading this” mindset, even if I kind of WANT to change my mind? This is what is happening with Roseblood at the moment. I want to try it but… my brain keeps telling me other things, I don’t know how to handle it.

So some books I was “never” reading. Don’t get *too* mad but… The Raven Boys. Because I thought it was about bird people. But it isn’t, so I ended up being glad I read it. Now I just ummm have to finish the series. ::Ducks as Cait throws tomatoes at my head:: Also, Cinder, because I told myself I didn’t like stuff with space after I read one random crappy space opera book that was NOTHING like Cinder. But then people made me read Red Rising and… I was kind of bored. So who knows.

I am sad that Ever the Hunted and The Sun is Also a Star did not work for you. I have been hearing quite “meh” things, especially about the former. SO sad. But yay that The Diabolic worked better, I am excited about that one! And Highly Illogical Behavior! And also, yayyy for Lara Jean! I will read anything with her, but especially with KITTY. Oh, and the cover for Altered IS quite unfortunate.Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…January 2017 New Release Giveaway Hop Sign Ups!

WAAAAH, ROSEBLOOD IS AWESOME!! (Although, admittedly, I don’t think it was as good as the Splintered books? A lot less plot things happening. But still PHANTOM. And BOARDING SCHOOL IN AN OLD OPERA HOUSE. And VIOLINS.😍😍😍)

yes go finish The Raven Cycle. I’M NOT GOING TO THREATEN YOU BUT SERIOUSLY NOW, SHANNON. *quietly shoves axe under the bed* No pressure.

Definitely a struggle of a bookworm! Glad a few of these were definitely worth the read! I loved Steelheart and finally getting around to reading Firefight. And I’ve had To the Boy…. on my TBR for a while now, I think you might have swayed me with the food! Maybe I’ll wait and binge read all three when the 3rd one comes out.Cyn @ Book Munchies recently posted…Cyn’s 2017 Reading Challenges

Okay, thank you so much because I have now added EVERY BOOK on here that you loved on my TBR! ARGH!! And thank you for saying you skipped the fanfic in Fangirl. I thought I was the only one! I had considered skipping it for that very reason, but a) I love Rainbow Rowell and b) I have seen way too many rave reviews for me NOT to read it. PEER PRESSURE! And I am so happy that I read P.S. I love you too! I was not going to, but I am so glad I did. And there is a third installment in the Lara Jean story coming out this year and I can’t wait.Cynthia @ Bingeing On Books recently posted…BOOK REVIEW: Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one skipping the fanfic sections in Fangirl too then! *HI FIVES* I mean, they didn’t make sense out of context imo anyway. But actually IN a book with all the context?? A+++ and the story is so super cute. <3

I need to read PS I Love You asap so I'm ready for the last Lara Jean book.😍

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who didn’t like The Young Elites. It feels like everyone is drooling over that series and I’m sitting over here in the didn’t like it corner by myself. I AM glad you read PS I Love You though because it was super adorable!

So glad you also enjoyed the Diabolic and Blackhearts! Those are two of my favorites! I cannot wait for Blacksouls, and I also loooove how stabby The Diabolic is XD I’m kind of sad that you didn’t like The Young Elites, but if you want stabby, keep reading! Adelina gets more and more evil, and it’s really great!

OMG! I so had Everything, Everything on my wishlist for January based upon well…nothing more than seeing the lovely cover Everywhere, Everywhere (since I rarely read reviews and sometimes not even synopses) of books I haven’t read yet for fear of spoilers). Now I am really not so sure about it….haha

I skipped the sections about Carry On in Fangirl too!! I felt so bad but I just could not do it…. glad to know I was not the only one! Have told myself I would not read Carry On, but your post is changing my mind……..

I loved reading about all your lack of self control LOL. Because seriously I get it. There are so many books that I’m not looking forward to reading and then for some reason I pick it up. Strangely enough I usually end up loving them. I think that has to do with the fact that most of the novels I pass on initially are because someone else has said something bad about it, not because I’ve lost interest. So when I finally come back around to them, I enjoy it. For instance, Beautiful Disaster. The reviews on that one were split because love and hate, and because so many reviewers that I trusted were “eww” about it, I set it aside. But one day I decided I’d give it 50 pages and see what happened. And then I read the whole book? And ended up kinda liking it. Moral of this rambly comment? I mean, I’m not sure I have one. Except. Isn’t it funny how you think you’ll know what you’ll like but like you don’t 🙂

It’s like we can’t possibly miss out on something so we HAVE TO SEE FOR OURSELVES, RIGHT?!?😂 I seem to be pretty 50/50 split whether I like them or not which is great and doesn’t help me to not try and read every book ever haha.

Oh that’s awesome about Beautiful Disaster! That’s actually on my “Nope” list but maybe I should reconsider that too.😂

AHHHH! I AM SO MAD AT MYSELF. THE ONLY BOOK THAT I HAVE READ ON THIS LIST IS THE YOUNG ELITES WHICH I ACTUALLY ADORED!

I want to read The Diabolic [which I bought for myself because lovely covers are my weakness], Ever the Hunted [but my stupid library doesn’t have it yet urgh], To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before [but I only own the sequel, because I bought it at a sale. It was two dollars k?, and I want to read Blackhearts but my library doesn’t have it either and I have no shelf space. 🙁

I’m glad some books worked out for you, even though some didn’t. You can’t alway love every book you read.

OMG I have The Diabolic on my shelf to read and I’m still excited about it, but it’s not on the top of my TBR. AND DOGGY!! A shame about The Sun is Also a Star, I was excited about it but now…I’m not. Steelheart and TYE deserve to be moved up my TBR pile! IU am so glad that you read and loved Carry On <3Jeann @ Happy Indulgence recently posted…Happy New Year! 2016 Wrap Up

You might like The Sun is Also a Star better than me!! I feel like I’m the minority?? But falling-in-love-in-a-day stories never work for me.😂 HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE. Eeeep, I hope you like The Diabolic!

I love this post! It’s absolutely hilarious. I think I’m quite the opposite. Usually I want to read all the books and then I change my mind about a lot of them. This is a situation that I haven’t had yet, but I’m sure I will!

Ooo… yes, I was not going to read All the Bright Places because for some reason I thought it was another book about a dying teenager until I read some things you had to say about it. I really liked it. 😀La La recently posted…52 PINS IN 52 WEEKS CHALLENGE

Aww, I’m glad you liked my ATBP review! I think it gets misunderstood a lot (and I’ve heard people say it uses romantic-cure-tropes, which I don’t think it does) and I’m actually going to re-read it soon and do a blog review. Because I have always forgotten to do that.😂

Hey, loved this list. On Highly Illogical Behaviour, you mentioned reading another book that deals with social anxiety and agoraphobia that you didn’t like, I was wondering what this book was? Mainly because I just finished reading this book called ‘Under Rose Tainted Skies’ by Louise Gornall, which I found alright because I had never actually found a book with the main character suffering from agoraphobia, however the ending was very disappointing, just like you mentioned a ‘romantic’ cure, which just is not realistic!!

Omg I’m SO disappointed about Under Rose Tainted Skies, then!! I had that on my list to read because I’d heard people say it was a good rep…but romantic cures are NOT OKAY. The book I was referring to is Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. I thought it really mocked what having social anxiety is like and it was pretty devastating.

This is good to know about Carry On! I had the same reservations. Although it is not good to know about The Sun is Also a Star, because I had the same reservations, but went ahead and used a BOTM credit to add it to my box 😕

OMG you and me both with Ever the Hunted. It felt so cliche and unoriginal. (Basically Throne of Glass 2.0, amirite?) And, like you said, the main character was definitely a bit of a Mary Sue.

And I was planning on giving Nicola Yoon a second chance because I didn’t like Everything, Everything either (what a shocker) but I guess I should have known better. 🙁 I’m going to take your advice and pass on it.

YES EXACTLY!! But at least Celaeana knew how to fight whereas Britt was basically just crying and fainting the whole time.😂 It was pretty disappointing since the cover was so gorgeous.

Yeeeeah, if you didn’t like EE then I don’t think the second book will work for you either. I mean, her writing is great! But I just can’t handle all the instalove. And when the romance is “destiny” it kind of makes me hide.😂